Key Takeaways
- Filming in LA added authenticity, but Amazon likely canceled Bosch: Legacy to cut costs.
- Amazon made a choice between Bosch: Legacy and Ballard, potentially hindering universe expansion.
- Fans and Hollywood should unite to save the show; Amazon’s actions could affect the industry long-term.
Bosch: Legacy will be back on television screens in March 2025, but the drama behind the scenes is threatening to overshadow what is bound to be a brilliant season. Amazon canceled Bosch: Legacy after filming had already finished on the third season, and fans have been questioning why this could be. It could be a mixture of things, and Michael Connelly did reveal something interesting in a recent interview that could shed some light on Amazon’s mindset.
Productions are moving away from Hollywood as it has just become too expensive, with favorable tax breaks available in other locations. Michael Connelly has said he always insisted on Harry Bosch’s adventures being filmed in Los Angeles to maintain authenticity, and this has been one of the best calls ever made. However, Amazon is clearly trying to cut costs, so is it possible Bosch: Legacy was a casualty of that mindset?
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Michael Connelly’s Insistence On Filming Bosch: Legacy In Los Angeles Was Probably Costing Amazon Too Much With Ballard In Production Too
Michael Connelly has been on a busy promotional tour for his latest Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard book, The Waiting. Connelly sat down with CBS Saturday Morning to discuss his beloved Bosch-verse, and he talked about the deal he originally struck with Amazon before agreeing to join forces with them on the original Bosch television series:
I want it in writing, in a contract that every shot in this show would be shot in Los Angeles, because Los Angeles is as big of a character as Harry Bosch is. And they agreed to that, which now they would never do. Now they are smart.
Connelly was very smart to strike this deal, and Bosch and Bosch: Legacy have both reaped the benefits of being shot solely in Los Angeles. It just wouldn’t be the same if it was filmed anywhere else. However, as Connelly points out, this kind of deal would never be struck nowadays, with the industry the way it is, and the lack of actual productions being filmed in Los Angeles. Ballard is also being shot in Los Angeles, so it’s possible Amazon decided they didn’t want to invest in two expensive shows, when they could merge them both together. This makes no sense as the Bosch brand is surely better with both shows running concurrently. Amazon aren’t that smart, they are just trying to save money and it could backfire.
Save Bosch: Legacy Petition Key Facts
- A petition to Save Bosch: Legacy can be signed HERE
- The Fans And Hollywood Need To Work Together To Save The Show
- Amazon Freevee is being shut down ahead of Bosch: Legacy’s final season.
It Sounds Like Amazon Made A Choice Between Bosch: Legacy And Ballard At The Expense Of The Expanded Universe
Amazon waited for production to be completed on Bosch: Legacy before it announced it wasn’t going to be renewed for another season, and by this point, Ballard was already deep into production on its first season. Amazon appears to have made a choice between Bosch: Legacy and Ballard, rather than invest in an exciting joint venture with crossovers and the potential for Michael Connelly’s universe to expand exponentially. Hollywood is on its knees at the moment, in the aftermath of the actor and writers strikes. Jobs are becoming increasingly hard to come by, with many productions being whizzed off to other areas where more favorable tax cuts are available. Having said that, surely one of Amazon’s most profitable IP’s is worth investing in, right? The audience is already built in for the Bosch-verse, so having Bosch: Legacy and Ballard both shooting in Los Angeles might be expensive, but it could save the industry in the long term.
Of course, no fan wants Bosch: Legacy shot in Atlanta, or anywhere else, as it would take away a vital component of what makes the series work: the presence of Los Angeles as a character of sorts. Michael Connelly knew this was the only way it would work before making a deal with Amazon to bring Harry Bosch to the screen back in 2014. His insistence has paid off as Bosch and Bosch: Legacy have been huge hits on Prime Video and Freevee respectively. However, this could ultimately be what brings the curtain down on the Bosch-verse, with Amazon showing no loyalty to Michael Connelly’s vision.
Sign The Petition To Save Bosch: Legacy Here
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